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Minor releases ($X.Y.0$) — capability lane

Status: DRAFT Last reviewed: 2026-01-10

Canonical assertions

A release is a governance assertion, not a batch of commits.

Minor releases are how the product advances.

Silence is non-compliance.

Lane dividers have fuzz, but classification requires explicit rationale and smell checks.

This doctrine exists to detect drift in both the agent and the human operator.

Minor definition (tight contract)

Minor releases:

  • Introduce new capability.
  • Preserve backward compatibility.
  • May introduce deprecations but do not enforce them.

Minor releases MUST have an ADR.

Minor releases MUST have supporting OBPIs that itemize expectations.

Governance artifact requirements

This lane SHALL comply with the SemVer × Governance Artifact Matrix:

  • Primary intent carrier: ADR (mandatory).
  • Supporting artifacts: OBPIs (mandatory).

Prohibition: GitHub Issues as minor intent

GitHub Issues SHALL NOT be used as an intent mechanism at the minor level.

All minor-level intent MUST be expressed through ADR(s) and OBPI(s).

Using GitHub Issues to carry minor intent constitutes drift and non-compliance.

GitHub Issues may exist as operational trackers, but SHALL NOT be treated as the intent carrier for minor work.

Minor classification rationale (required)

Every minor release SHALL include an explicit rationale statement that answers:

  • What new capability is being introduced?
  • How is backward compatibility preserved?
  • What is deprecated, if anything, and what is the non-enforcement posture?
  • Which ADR(s) carry the intent, and which OBPIs itemize expectations?

Silence is non-compliance: missing rationale is a release blocker.

GovZero Gate Obligations

This section is mandatory.

Gate 1 — Intent

Obligation:

  • OBPI(s) SHALL exist and SHALL itemize expectations.

Satisfying artifacts:

  • OBPI checklist(s) that map to the minor increment.

Non-compliance:

  • Intent is carried primarily in GitHub Issues.
  • OBPIs are missing or non-specific.

Gate 2 — Design

Obligation:

  • An ADR SHALL exist and SHALL be the primary intent carrier.
  • The ADR SHALL define the capability, constraints, and compatibility posture.

Satisfying artifacts:

  • ADR content and its linkage to OBPIs.

Non-compliance:

  • The minor increment proceeds without an ADR.
  • OBPIs no longer trace to ADR intent.

Gate 3 — Implementation

Obligation:

  • Implementation SHALL deliver the new capability.
  • Implementation SHALL preserve backward compatibility.
  • Deprecations MAY be introduced but SHALL NOT be enforced in the same minor.

Satisfying artifacts:

  • Code changes implementing the ADR intent.
  • Documentation claims align to implemented behavior.

Non-compliance:

  • Breaking change is introduced without major classification.
  • Deprecations are enforced rather than declared.

Gate 4 — Verification

Obligation:

  • Verification SHALL defend the new capability and the backward compatibility claim.

Satisfying artifacts:

  • Verification evidence that covers new behavior and compatibility.

Non-compliance:

  • New capability is shipped without defensible verification.

Gate 5 — Human Attestation

Obligation:

  • Gate 5 SHALL be required for all minor releases.

Satisfying artifacts:

  • Recorded human attestation that operator-facing surfaces match the governance assertion.

Silence is non-compliance: missing attestation is non-compliance.

Patch spillover rule (mandatory)

Patch-level issues discovered during minor implementation become patch increments.

They SHALL NOT be smuggled into the minor lane.

If patch defects are discovered:

  • A GitHub Issue SHALL be created for the defect.
  • The defect SHALL be resolved under a patch increment.

This rule is mandatory because patch is not sub-minor.

Smell checks

Minor smells (re-evaluate segmentation)

If any smell is present, the minor classification SHALL be re-evaluated:

  • OBPI count is exploding inside one minor increment.
  • OBPIs no longer trace to original ADR intent.
  • Repeated “why wasn’t this hardened?” discoveries appear.
  • Invariants are changing rather than being clarified.

Drift principle:

  • Large OBPI accumulation within a single minor is a drift indicator; stop and reclassify.

Major smells (re-evaluate as major)

If any major smell is present, reclassify:

  • Contracts are being redefined.
  • Backward compatibility is no longer honest.
  • Migrations become conceptual, not additive.

Authorized agent challenges

The AI Pair is authorized to challenge classification.

If any smell check in this document is present, the AI Pair MUST raise a classification challenge before proceeding.

  • “The number of OBPIs in this minor suggests scope expansion — should we cut a new minor?”
  • “This discovery affects invariants — should this trigger a new minor or major reclassification?”
  • “This patch request seems to redefine behavior — is this actually a minor/major?”
  • “This GH Issue appears to introduce new capability — should this be an OBPI?”

Silence is non-compliance: unanswered challenges SHALL be treated as a blocker.